You Wield a Weapon

Car accidents happen around me all the time. I’ve frequently passed two or more stopped vehicles with their hoods up and their hazards on. Sometimes a whole lane is blocked for miles as a result of an accident. Occasionally I’ll see an emergency vehicle roll out a stretcher towards a badly damaged vehicle. The leading causes of car wrecks are distracted driving, impaired driving, and aggressive driving. These conditions are preventable. So why are there so many wrecks happening?

The most repeated comment made by accident victims is: “It happened so fast.” According to reports, 1 in 4 drivers reported using their cell phones right before they got in a crash. An alarming 27% of all traffic fatalities are caused by speeding, a form of aggressive driving. And many nighttime accidents happen because of substance or alcohol abuse. I must confess that I have sped and used my cell phone a few times one the road. Most individuals are guilty of these risky behaviors on a daily basis, but not all of them suffer a car crash as a result.

Before we hit the road, we must learn the rules of driving. All licensed drivers are required to take a written test as well as a road test before receiving their license. The learner’s permit is relatively easy to obtain, and little education is needed to pass that test. Most of the preparations for taking the road test come through personal experience. I learned to drive with my dad. He took me through our city’s roads, let me practice in areas I was familiar with, and finally directed me during my first time on the interstate. Without his guidance, I would never have the confidence to travel long distances on the freeway.

The driver’s education course is a well-organized way to educate and train young drivers before they take the road test. I’ve never taken it, but my mom shared her experience with me. Many public schools offer this single-semester course, with regular textbook learning and tests. The catch is that all driver’s ed graduates a have to practice with a coach. For 9 weeks out of the year, they gain several hours of driving experience under supervision. In addition, they become comfortable with nearby highways.

Part of educating these students is informing them of the dangers of driving. My mom and dad taught me that the car can be a deadly weapon, driving alongside other deadly weapons. They made me aware of the riskiest behaviors related to driving, and the great number of deaths caused by them. Drivers must not be allowed to treat driving like a video game, where pushing the limits is ok and other “players” are subhuman or expendable.

Driver’s ed might not be right for everyone. Some individuals are simply unable to drive safely and effectively, such as the disabled or the mentally impaired. No amount of education can prepare them to take on the responsibility of driving on the nation’s highways. However, there are certain groups of people who would benefit from re-taking both the road and written tests.

One group of people who would benefit is our senior citizen population. The biggest dangers to the elderly on the road include: age-related changes in vision, physical functioning, memory capacity, as well as the ability to think critically. They are also more prone to injury in a car accident. Some, like my grandmother, will drive too fast and not realize it. For these reasons, they should consider re-educating themselves on safe driving techniques as well as practice defensive driving. Another healthy precaution for older drivers is safety features on a car. Assists like lane-keeping, adaptive lighting, automatic braking, and lane departure warning could prevent many fatalities.

I am blessed to never have been in a car accident. But I have been in the car when my second-oldest brother was driving irresponsibly multiple times. Once, we were on a back road in a rural part of town. There was one car ahead of us, and my 17-year-old brother was following at a reasonable distance. The dangerous moment came when the car in front of us prepared to turn left. My brother wasn’t paying attention and didn’t hit the brakes. We were almost on top of them when he realized we were going to crash. He slammed the brakes and veered off onto the shoulder (thankfully it was flat) to avoid hitting them. To this day, I still don’t know what was distracting him.

My oldest brother was also a risky driver when he was new to the roads. He frequently made tight turns at high speeds, didn’t stop at stop signs, and wove in and out of lanes on the interstate. In a similar way, my personal weakness is looking at my phone to change the music. I almost never text while driving, but switching between songs is equally distracting.

That bad habit almost killed me a few months ago. One week, my power steering was cutting out at random times. I had to use both hands to turn the wheel if it was acting up. In the middle of a left turn onto a bridge, I still had one hand on my phone when the power steering stopped working. My car became very difficult to handle, so I immediately dropped my phone to make sure I didn’t drift off the road. If I had been going much faster, I probably would have ended up going right over the edge.

After seeing the result of bad decisions made on the road, I have learned the value of responsible driving. I’m helping my younger siblings drive wisely, and I’m talking frequently with them about the dangers of driving. I will never, ever drink and drive. I’ve resolved to avoid looking at my phone while I’m moving, and to pay close attention to how fast I’m going. Driving responsibly is a daily choice that can save lives. The decision to slow down, pay attention, and keep both hands on the wheel is essential to staying safe on the road.